England’s red squirrels ‘could vanish within 25 years’ as campaigners warn ministers have “no plan” to stop extinction

England’s beloved red squirrels could disappear from the mainland within a generation because the country still has “no clear plan” to save them, conservationists have warned.

Campaigners behind the grassroots movement Save Our Reds say ministers and wildlife agencies are “managing decline” rather than preventing extinction, despite mounting public outrage and years of scientific warnings.

The alarm comes as more than 80,000 people have now backed a national petition demanding urgent action to save the species, one of Britain’s most iconic native mammals.

The stark warning follows the publication of a six-year scientific assessment by Natural England and the Zoological Society of London, which concluded that under current “do nothing” modelling, red squirrels could disappear from mainland England by around 2051.

Now, on the first national Save Our Reds Day, campaign group Save Our Reds CIC has released a hard-hitting new Conservation Action Framework accusing authorities of failing to turn scientific findings into meaningful action.

Campaigners say the Government-backed strategy contains no implementation timetable, no named national body responsible for delivery, no committed funding pathway for squirrelpox vaccine rollout, and no legally binding protection for some of England’s last remaining red squirrel strongholds.

They also warn that key questions remain unanswered, including who will enforce protections, how habitat destruction will be monitored, and how woodland losses affecting red squirrel populations will be audited nationally.

Marie Carter-Robb, founder of Save Our Reds CIC, said: “The scientific evidence is already there and the public concern is overwhelming. Yet six years of consultation have still not produced a clear national delivery plan.

“We are not solving the problem. We are managing decline.

“That has to stop. We are not calling for endless further discussion. We are calling for practical action before England loses one of its most loved native mammals.”

The campaign’s new framework calls for immediate legal protection for nationally important red squirrel woodlands, stronger enforcement of wildlife laws, independent auditing of biodiversity commitments, faster squirrelpox vaccine research, and more wildlife rangers across northern England.

It also cites the findings of a national awareness survey involving 1,590 people, which found overwhelming support for tougher conservation measures.

According to the survey, 99 per cent backed stronger enforcement of habitat protections, while 97 per cent supported mandatory wildlife impact assessments before woodland felling.

Wildlife filmmaker Terry Abraham, whose documentaries helped inspire the campaign and who has now become the group’s first official ambassador, said Britain’s native reds were “part of the soul of our northern woodlands”.

He added: “They’re iconic and are a national favourite species. We cannot continue warning about decline while allowing vital habitat to disappear without meaningful protection or accountability.”

Red squirrels once thrived across Britain but have suffered catastrophic declines over the last century due to habitat destruction, the spread of non-native grey squirrels, and diseases such as squirrelpox.

Today, the animals survive in fragmented pockets, primarily in northern England, parts of Scotland and a handful of protected strongholds.

Read the Conservation Action Framework HERE

A new interactive decline map released by Save Our Reds CIC, now live at saveourreds.netlify.app, traces the dramatic long-term retreat of Britain’s native red squirrel across the UK and forms part of the campaign’s growing push for a coordinated national recovery plan.

Read the Natural England report here:https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/14/england-red-squirrel-recovery-strategy/

Petition:www.change.org/save-our-reds